Duplex safety water-column for steam-boilers.



` PA'TBNTBD AUG. 1,y 1905.

' '.I'JUIIFrXy SAFETY WATER COLUMN FORSTEAM BOILERS APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1905;

ll 11|" lll' ili f Il II UNITED sTATnsI PATENT orrIcn.

IHILIP A. ROHAN, LOUIS, MISSOURI.

DUPLEX lSAFETY-WATER-COLUMN FOR STEAM-BOILERS.

TOLLZZ whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, PHILIP A.y RoIIAN,Ia citizen of the United States, residing in the city f of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certainy new and useful Improvements in Duplex Safety Water-Columns for Steam- Boilers, of which the following is a full, clear,

1 the accompanying drawings, formingV part of of water in the boiler or appliance to which the article is applied may be accurately deter- 'Inined at all times and without liability of the. mistakes or erroneous indications vthat have existed in the use of similar articles here-.

tofore employed. 1

In my column I provide a plurality of steam connections and a plurality of water connections unitingthe multiple column to the steamboiler and provide multiple valves that control the iiow through the connection to and .from the column members, thereby rendering it an impossibility for the boiler'to become drained at any time without draining one or the other of the column members. This is due tothe controlling-valves being at all times open to permit circulation of water and steam to both of the column members. I thereby obviate all liability of accidents due to firing in connection with the boiler when there is an absence of water therein.

A column constructed in accordance with my improvement also serves to furnish information to the user of a leakin any of the column connections,'whi'ch results in the gage associated with the column indicating a falsev water-line in the boiler. Undersucha condition a deficiency of water ork a condition of surplus of water becomes presentin the boiler,`

and of impending danger.`

My multiple column also provides protection tothe user from such dangers as arise Specification of Letters Patent. Application ined February 19,1905. serial NQ, 246,236.

'Patented Aug. 1', 1905.

from either of the column connections becoming clogged fromscales or foreign matter, for

should such clogged condition arise the waterline inthe gage correspondingito the clogged connection would indicate a water-level at variance from that indicated by the gage of the other column, thus warning the'user of the existing danger.

i My duplex column is 'so'c'onstructed and the valves controlling the connections leading theretoare so disposed that the supply of water and steam to either column member may be readily shut oii' from the connections leading to the second column member. The merit of this arrangement is that of protectionto the user from being scalded while shutting of flow to one column member in the event of breakage of the corresponding gage-tube.

My column includes a shield located be-'I tween the gage-tubes of the column members that serves as a protection for either of said gage-tubes against breakage by flying fragments in the event of breakage of the other tube.

Figure I is a perspective view of a duplex safety water-column, partly broken out. Fig.

II is a horizontal cross-section taken through the water-column. Fig. III is a section of one of the three-way or multiple valves utilized in the connections of the water-column. Fig. IV is a section of a modification of the valve shown in Fig. III. Fig. Vis a diagrammatic View of my water-column.

land 2- designate the column members of my duplex` column, which are preferably united by a web 8, but' may be separated. Connected to the column member lfis a gagetube 4, and connected to the column member 2 is a gage-tube 5, each of which has communication with its respective column member in order thatv water may rise therein to a height indicating the water-level in the corresponding column member and inthe boiler to which the column is applied. At the 'lower ends of the gagetubes are drain cocks 1I 'and 5.

6 and 7 designate water connection pipes leading from the boiler -to the lower' end of the column members l and 2. In these pipes are positioned multiple valvesv 8 and 9, by which the iiow of water to the column members may be controlled. The multiple valves housings.

pipe is attached, a neck to which the pipesection directly connected tothe column member is attached, and necks c and CZ. IVithin the housing is a partition e, provided with a port f, and a partition g, provided with a port t. c' is a valve-rod seated in the housingneck c and extending to the interior of the housing. On this valve-rod is a valve j', by which the port e is controlled, and a valve It', by which the port L is controlled.

1() is a conducting pipe leading from the multiple valve 8 to the column member 2, and 11 is a conducting-pipe leading from the multiple valve 9 to the column member 1.

12 and 13 designate steam-connection pipes leading to the upper ends of the column members 1 and 2 and having interposed therein multiple valves 14 and 15, that are of similar construction to the valves 8 and 9, previously described.

16 is a conducting-pipe leading from the multiple valve 14 to the column member 2, and 17 is a conducting-pipe leading from the multiple valve 15 to the column member 1.

The connection-pipes 6 and 7 serve to conduct water to the .lower ends of the column members 1 and 2 directly from the pipe 6 to the column member 1 and from the pipe 7 to the column member2 when the valves j' in the multiple valves 8 and 9 are unseated, thereby opening the ports f in the valve- When the valves j are seated, the valves la become unseated, thereby opening the ports L, and the water flows from the connection-pipes 6 and 7 into the conductingpipes 10 and 11 and is delivered to the olfset column member instead of being delivered directly tothe column member to which the pipe 6 or the pipe 7 corresponds. In like manner to the foregoing the steam which is presentin the connection-pipes 12 and 13 is delivered to the column members 1 and 2, respectively, when the portsfin the multiple valves 14 and 15 are open, and when the ports f are closed and the ports /L are open in said multiple valves the steam is conducted from the pipe 12 through the conducting-pipe 16 to the column member 2 instead of entering the column member 1 and the steam from the connectionpipe 13 is delivered through the conductingpipe 17 to the column member 1 instead of entering the column member 2. By the use of the multiple valves in the connection-pipes 6, 7, 12, and 13 a continuous supply of water and steam is constantly maintained in the column members 1 and 2, as the duplicated connections are thereby united to both column members in common in a manner to cause How of water and steam from each connection te the other column than that to which it directly appertains in the event of the iiow being shut off from a direct course to the column member arranged to be directly supplied. This being the case there is absolutely no liability of a failure of supply of water and steam to the column members corresponding to the amount of water in the boiler to which the multiple column is united, and, therefore the indication of water-level in the gage-tubes 4 and associated with the column members is kept accurate.

For the purpose of protecting the gagetubes 4 and 5, I provide between them a shield 18` preferably integral with the web 3, connecting the column members 1 and 2. This shield serves as a separating member and prevents breakage of the second tube by iiying fragments of either gage-tube that may become broken. This shield also serves as a background in observing the gage-tubes.

In Fig. IV, I have shown a modification of my multiple valve, which consists of a housing having necks to which the steam and water conducting-pipes are connected and a rotatable plug-valve i in said housing by which the iiow of fluid may be controlled to cause it to pass either directly to a column member or indirectly through one of the conducting-pipes leading from the multiple valve to the remote column member. The valve '-is operated by a lever I claim as my invention* 1. A multiple water-column of the character described comprising a plurality of column members, water and steam connection pipes leading to said column members, and multiple valves in said connection-pipes; said valves providing communication between one column and the connection-pipe of another column, when the flow to said other column is shut off, substantially as set forth.

2. A multiple water-column of the character described comprising a plurality of col.- umn members, water and steam connection pipes leading to said column members, and multiple valves in said connection pipes; each valve being adjustable to provide communication either between a column and its connection-pipe or between said connectionpipe and another column, substantially as set forth.

3. A multiple water-column of the character described comprising a plurality of column members, water and steam connection pipes leading to said column members, multiple valves in said connection-pipes, and conducting-pipes united to said multiple valves and leading therefrom to the column members; said multiple valves being arranged to control the iiow of liuid directly to said column members or to the column members through said conducting-pipes, substantially as set forth.

PHILIP A. ROHAN.

In presence ofd NELLIE V. ALEXANDER, BLANCHE HOGAN. 

